After a massacre of her entire pack, an endangered and rare wolf finds herself saved from her foes by her new mate and his pack. Broken treaties, immortal blood, sacrifice, star-crossed romance, enemy-to-lover-to-enemy and the rise of a goddess wolf. All these things await Roman Yaga, a sun wolf as the new luna of the Traga pack.
Lihat lebih banyakMy paws pounded against the snow. Prints of blood followed behind– my heart doing the same against my chest. Fear on my tail, and what it had done to me was enough to have anyone running for their life. It had ripped everything I cared about from my grasp and left me to watch. For the first time, tears ran down my furry face and my chest tightened as the wind forced itself against me. The world became a blur of saltwater in my eyes. The distance I had been running exceeded my usual.
I wanted to live, needed to live but grief was heavy on my shoulders. My muscles couldn’t take it, they burned like a candle to skin. I wanted to stop and breathe, grieve, cry. Breathe! But blood-thirsty growls reminded by burning legs – run!
Hungry growls grew louder, jagged in impatience. I wouldn't let them catch up, I didn’t win races since I was young for nothing. I couldn’t fight or shed blood but I could run.
My mother's words echoed in my mind as I kept on doing what she had been telling me. Run. Just run and never look back.
Tears squeezed out of my eyes. Without thought, I was moving instinctively on a path unknown. My mind searched for alternatives. I prayed to the Sun goddess, Yaga, who gave me strength, begging her to spare me. Give me one more day to seek vengeance for her creation, my family, my pack. But today she didn't give me strength. I felt weak. My knees wanted to buckle. Today, She wasn't shining, She was behind the grey clouds that placed a lid around the sky, scattering perpetual white flakes in the cold. This was our weakness as sun wolves, winter, and our enemies knew it.
The fatigue kicked in as I jumped several roots and meandered countless trees. All these fast-flying objects made me dizzy and my vision grew impaired. I slid clumsily across an iced river.
My scent was probably dense in the air due to the blood oozing from my paws.
This was an unfair battle and I was alone, running from a pack of black and dangerous ex-alpha, the Azraels. How was it fair? It wasn't.
Their dark claws flashed in my memory as I found my feet again. Sharp and merciless, ravenous and hungry. I tried to claw them off my brother who cried out for me to save him but they clawed back in several places, reaping blood out of me. Their alpha, the biggest one sniffed my blood and licked it. His eyes glowed golden for a split second then back into a dark pit. I watched them slaughter my entire pack and drink their blood for a rush, a high.
I blinked the dark image out of my mind and glanced back and saw them, ravaging near the bank and onto the frozen river. Fear took over again, now mixed with stamina, I couldn't die today. I wasn't dying today. Be it with Yaga’s help or not, I wasn’t dying today. I pounced away, deeper and deeper into the forest in the darkness of the day. My front paw caught hold of a root and I was sent flying forward. I never gave them the chance to catch up though, and got right up. The world spun. I saw visions of their sharp canines and hungry eyes. Sun wolves are gone, I was endangered. I felt myself howling in pain, straining my lungs. Why was I doing this at this time? As stamina was letting go of me.
Ahead I saw a light in the thicket of trees. I had never ventured this far from home. I could hear them catching up. I began howling as loud as I could for help but, all that came out was a weak moan. The light beyond had a pull on me suddenly. I felt myself running faster, wanting to satisfy my unknown need to be there. The light grew bigger and bigger.
I had to live, for mom, for dad, for my seven brothers and two sisters. For the pack, I had to live.
I couldn't go on any longer. If whatever was at the end of the forest was bad, I would give up and die at their hands, but never the Azraels. Something was attracting me, I had to be there. I came so close to the light and became blinded by it. I burst into the light with all my strength and sent myself tumbling to the ground. The light was refreshing as if the sun was out.
A huge house sat amid the field surrounded by mazes of trees. The wooden house blanketed by snow felt strangely warm. I howled one last time as I rolled to a stop by the porch. Twigs, rocks and sharp grass had pierced into my skin.
My bone began shifting under my skin and I shrunk into my human form, too weak to remain a wolf. I had been a wolf for so long, that I forgot how cold the snow was. My blood mixed with the snow as death became a reality for me. I shook with despair when I saw the Azraels burst through the dense forest. They halted and silenced their growls at the edge... to look… at me perhaps? To first finish me with their eyes, maybe, but they stood a fair distance away. As if they were waiting for me to get up and run again. Like they were enjoying this race. A strange pulling force came from behind me. I couldn't help but look back at the house. A group of people burst out of the house. Their instant transformation assured me that they were wolves. I curled myself into a ball as I felt myself losing myself. Sound left my ears and I heard nothing. Blood came off my back, my waist, wrists and face, this was it. I couldn't help but catch a scent. A sweet scent that made me feel alive one last time.
My eyes opened up. They burned. The pull grew more desperate, an urge to close the space between me and the magnet that had been pulling me.
A large wolf, the largest of them all, stood out from them all with icy blue eyes that penetrated me. He was the alpha; I could feel it. His pack was of various colours, orangish-browns, greys, and bronze and he was the only black one. His pack was unlike the Azraels who were all black. He growled at the Azraels. A sound more like a snap of thunder or a heart-stopping accident. He snapped his jaws and moved perilously toward them.
I should’ve been afraid, he was humongous but the pull I felt toward him eased my mind and heart. I could breathe again yet the pain in my body had not ceased. His blue eyes met mine again and never left. I gasped when my stomach wrung uncontrollably and my heartbeat increased in speed, his growl lowered and his angry icy look became like a still blue ocean. His eyes were tingling and so were mine. There was this unusual saccharine sensation in me. I felt a strong pull toward him. A pull that only needed me to get close to him because gravity wasn't strong enough to carry me. He was the magnet. I was suddenly hungry but not for food. A cavity opened inside of me and I had to put him inside of it. He broke our gaze and the hole gaped.
He approached the leader of the Azraels, Intiyago. Azraels were the most dangerous wolves in the world and for him to challenge them was brave or insane. The Azraels were our prime predators, they had been hunting us for decades. We were safe in the cove but someone must’ve told them where we were. They were cannibalistic creatures and Sun wolves a delicious drug of strength, to ensure their immortality or so the myth goes.
Intiyago approached Blue Eyes, away from his pack. Alpha to Alpha. The deathly sleep returned to me. Intiyago looked at me intently, then with hunger and desire. He didn't want to kill me, I read it in his eyes. Death was not my fate with him. That only made me want to die just to hurt him for all he had done. To make him realize that all the death was for nothing, and my soul would rest with my pack in the Sun. Everything darkened at the edges as it became gradually black. My eyes shut as an Azrael came running to me.
The wolves from the house jumped at him... to protect me? I could hear the sound of war, tearing flesh and gruesome growls, claws on fur.
What had I done to deserve such protection? I felt a warm liquid coming from my lips. I started coughing as I went deeper into the sleep. All the growling, all the violence was all so deafening. Everything went on mute.
At first, it scared me and saddened me but at some point, in the darkness, I wanted silence. I couldn't feel anything. Everything was dark and cold. It wasn't the cold of the snow but the chill of death, tugging at me kindly, calling me to give in.
What had I to live for? My mother was gone, my father was gone, my siblings, my pack... I was lost with nothing...
I remembered the pull to the blue-eyed alpha like it was an old beautiful core memory. I had no emotions to it yet but I knew it was significant.
My parents’ recent death was nothing to me now, I had lost all emotions. It was utter darkness and lack of feeling. All my senses were gone, no smell of blood or the sounds of battle.
Nothing just a deafening silence as I slipped away, allowing all reasons to live to die with me.
We found ourselves outside, everyone had transformed into their wolf forms. The majority of the pack had already gathered to watch. Malcolm stood opposite me, snarling and growling.Traga wolves, please hear me. This is not my doing but that of your great ancestor and Khai. This is not my will but that of your own. Blasphemy! A wolf shouted.The pack was clearly split into sides. Those who wanted to remain Traga wolves were in the majority, standing behind Malcolm. I saw many wolves I thought would be on my side.The only one on my side was Grace in her brown wolf form which shone red under the sun. Her love for Khai brought her here and also a pack that never chose her. My heart expected Yolanda to be on my side, Linda or Edna but they stood fiercely behind Malcolm.A howl ripped from the forest and a grey wolf appeared. Audrey. Her blue eyes were like ice.I will fight as well. she growledTwo against one is hardly fair, even for an alpha, Grace said.She stepped forward and nodded
I had not seen her in months. Her absence even made me believe she wasn't around anymore. I never passed her anywhere.Even at the funeral. I knew she was there but I didn't see her.“You better sit down,” Whitney warned.Grace glanced at her without any emotions and walked toward me. I stood up as she approached. She looked tired and broken.“I heard him before he went away," she continued.“If you want to make yourself useful, do it by going back to that room!” Whitney shouted.Whitney charged toward Grace. I found myself running to block her from striking Grace.I gripped her hand in my hand inches from Grace's face. Grace had her arms up in defence. Whitney's wide eyes locked with mine incredulously.“You will sit down!” I said in my alpha voice and it brought her down to her knees."Oh!" Whitney grunted and she found herself crouched on the floor.My voice was so heav
When the elders gathered in the living room, winter was coming to a visible end. Their eyes were still full of grief and heartache, but Raymond was as cold as stone.I told no one else about what Yaga and Khai told me to do after Audrey's reaction. I kept it to myself. Malcolm could read a difference in me but he couldn’t put a finger on it. Most of the time I avoided his advances and efforts to make something out of the proposed arrangement but I gave him no opening.My stomach turned; I could feel another war coming on.“Roman, the time has come. We understand that you may not want anything big but we will need it on paper,” Khai’s grandfather said to me.I sat alone on the single couch while everyone sat around me. This must’ve been how Khai felt when he led. All these eyes and weight on him. No wonder he was broken.My mouth remained sealed and I looked over at Malcolm who for once in one of these meetings was looking me directly in the eyes. Bold and immovable.“By the end of tom
I reached out for her and she moved her hand away. That's when I knew there was division between us."Do you know what you sound like?" she said as she glared at me.I shrugged helplessly."A colonizer.""Excuse me?" I breathed.I wasn't sure if I heard her right."I should've listened to Malcolm. You've made Malcolm a reliable source. Do you know how insane you need to be to make Malcolm sound reliable?" she shouted.The workers around us watched us and all the harvesting had stopped. Audrey saw the eyes and closed the space between us and lowered her voice."How dare you use Khai's name to justify your schemes," she said through clenched teeth."This is not my scheme Audrey. I don't want this either but Khai said-""How dare you?"Her eyes became glossy and she jabbed a finger in my chest."Doing that will eradicate everything that makes us Traga. You came in here and usurped our leader and now you
Winter covered the garden with its cold whiteness and a few months breezed past. The trees grew bare with leaves and frostbite crept up my fragile human toes.I never had to worry about these things when I spent every day and night as a wolf. My fur always kept me warm but as a human, which I spent most of my time as - I found sickness and shivering to be commonplace.They were generous with the mourning period but time was running out. I couldn't avoid the subject of marriage to Malcolm any longer. Eventually, the elders would end their kind silence and come to the house again.Intimidated and confused, I had said yes to marrying Malcolm under the condition that they would lend me the guard dogs in my fight against the Azraels. They had done that for me.This was against my moral code. Growing up, my father taught me to keep my word but then I felt Khai, heard him in my head and promised him I’d never marry Malcolm and see the plan through - my mor
It became apparent why I was here. Why it was the doorstep of the Tragas I fell upon. It was for this moment right here. Khai and I were nothing but collateral, a means to an end.I was but a small cog in the machine, a pawn in a chess game played by the gods. Traga was willing to sacrifice himself to Yaga so his children would get stronger and live longer. My blood would certainly guarantee that.After Khai left my mind and body I felt lonely. Lonelier than I’d ever been or believed was possible. I sat in the desert crying for what felt like an hour as the black hole in my chest gaped wider.I saw them looking for me in the distance and I ran to hide so I could cry all the cowardice out of me.I couldn’t continue like this anymore. I needed to take the first step. Move out of the passive and into the active.For the first time in a long time, I got on my knees and said a prayer.Give me the strength to see these plans through. Please soften the hearts of Traga Wolves so they may rece
The night went on and I left the crowd to sit alone with my fourth drink. I wanted to cry but my body felt too tired of all the sadness and pain. Also, I was tired of forcing smiles.I walked a mile off and sat on the dirt, gazing up at the moon.I’d never given the moon much thought till I came to Traga. All I cared about before was the sun and now I was of both the sun and the moon.As I stared the moon it began to glow. I kept my gaze fixed on it and I felt my blood rushing through my veins. I stood up to my feet as my heart pounded in my chest.What was happening?It went on for a while until my chest felt warm. Tears brimmed at my eyes as I felt it again. His love. His warmth, his presence glowing from inside of me.It was Khai. How?Roman. Khai?Yes. How? I laughed, a mix of joy and tears.How was this happening. I’d never felt so whole in my life. My
Ginos was a place out of town, randomly in the middle of the dessert like area. It was made of shipping containers huddled into a circle where people could sit and have drinks. They only served barbeque meats and alcohol. The air was heavy with spices, smoke and charred meat which made my mouth salivate.I couldn’t believe the Tragas had finally managed to get me off raw meat. I couldn’t imagine eating it.We joined two tables and sat together, the loudest group in the whole place. Hannah, Falcon, Jacob, Yolanda, Audrey, Malcolm, Linda and apparently Greg was coming. The idea didn’t excite me and I felt that it was disrespectful seeing as Khai was barely gone for a week and she was already going over his head.Khai never wanted Greg around them. He could do nothing about Linda’s love for him but he made it clear he didn’t want him around other wolves.I didn’t have the energy to argue and fight a losing battle. No matter what I said, Linda would justify his presence in her head. And on
The guard dogs ran ahead of me, howling in celebration. I turned my head away from the corpses and tried to convince myself I was walking back from somewhere else. But I couldn’t forget what I did, not while I had his skull in my mouth.The howls filled the air all the way back to Traga land. Outside the house many wolves in their human forms had gathered, ready to receive us. They were so excited to see us, cheering and joyful that the reign of Azraels was finally over. I placed Intiyago’s head in the middle of the garden and everyone erupted in joy.Where was my joy, I wondered. I couldn’t feel a thing.Intiyago haunted me for so long, made my life a living hell and now that I had ended him I felt no joy nor sense of completion. I entered the house and phased into a human in the kitchen.My behavior offset them but they continued to cheer and celebrate outside, hoisting Intiyago’s head and parading around with it. The house was e
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